Friday, June 17, 2011

Behind the Walls. Exposed.

I can't imagine the fear of the people inside Jericho when the walls came crumbling down. They had heard the sound of trumpets outside their walls for six straight days. But they trusted those walls. I mean after all, Jericho was known for being a city that just couldn't be conquered. Fortified. Strong. Indestructible. Untouchable. But God saw something different. He used Joshua and the Israelites to show off his power. He used it as the stage for His glory.

On the 7th day, the priests blew on their horns, the people shouted because victory was the Lord's, and the walls came tumbling down. The walls were gone. The people of Jericho were exposed. Joshua and the Israelites went into the city and destroyed everything. They took the lives of all the enemies of the Lord. All except one woman, Rahab, and her household. Rahab had begged for mercy and was found in the house clinging to the scarlet cord.

Like the people of Jericho, I think we all trust in walls that we have built. Walls that appear to be fortified. Strong. Indestructible. Untouchable. We build them around us so that we won't be exposed. We trust in those walls. We hide behind money, reputation, church attendance, relationships, sports. But one day, all those walls will come crumbling down. And we will be exposed. And the only thing that will matter is if we are clinging to the scarlet blood of the cross.

What walls have you built? What is fortifying your heart? When those walls come crumbling down, will you be found clinging to the scarlet cord? Or will you be exposed without the protection of the cross?